Runner's World Half & Festival
Runner's World Half & Festival
( 130 reviews )-
Bethlehem,
Pennsylvania,
United States - October
- 3 miles/5K, 6 miles/10K, 13.1 miles/Half Marathon, Other
- Road Race
- Event Website
See more of our race!
TSean Laws
Abington, Pennsylvania, United StatesOverall
T-Shirts/SWAG
Aid Stations
Course Scenery
Expo Quality
Elevation Difficulty
Parking/Access
Race Management
This is my second year participating in an event at the Runner's World Half Run Festival. Overall, this is great event. The positive energy, friendly participants, helpful volunteers and staff, Expo and activities make it worth coming back for.
The Course:
The 10k course lived up to all the expectations. If you have not done hills in any course, you will get an education. I ran the 5k course last year, so I had a good idea what I was in store for. The course starts by the Steele Stacks and goes through the town of Bethlehem. Running through main street and through the residential area is fun. After the bridge past about 1.25 miles into the race, there was a DJ station to keep you pumped. Mile 2-3 was the toughest as far as hills and incline are concerned. During this stretch you run through main street and into the residential district. You run past plenty of houses and if you have friends and family near by, the midway point is great for them to cheer along. The streets are tree lined and its easy to get loss in just enjoying the run and the scenery. Mile 4-5 was flat and slightly down hill, so that makes up for it. Also note, you go back past the same DJ station to get another fix pumping energy. The last mile take you back past the Casino and back to the Steele Stacks to finish the race. Its awesome coming down the stretch with all the people cheering for all the runners on either side. Hearing the announcer call out the runners finishing the race makes the event even better. Makes an average runner feel top tier when they cross the line.
The aid stations were set-up in all the normal places for 10k. Plenty of water and gatorde to keep you hydrated.
Advice:
The course is hilly, so make sure you have practice some hills prior. Get a nice stretch, and if the incline gets a bit much, just back down and take you time.
Festival:
I was there with my friends again this year. This is turning into our annual event. We got to meet and talk to so many different kind of runners. It amazes me how equally supportive everyone is for each other to stay healthy and have a fun time. I got approached by several people and had many discussions on a lot of running topics. Its nice to see no matter the experience level we all have the same issues and take advice well.